Federal accident investigators and railroad regulators are opening special investigations into Norfolk Southern Corp.’s safety practices after a series of incidents involving the railroad.
(Bloomberg) — Federal accident investigators and railroad regulators are opening special investigations into Norfolk Southern Corp.’s safety practices after a series of incidents involving the railroad.
The US National Transportation Safety Board announced a broad review on Tuesday, hours after launching a probe of a collision in Cleveland that killed a Norfolk Southern train conductor. That was the agency’s fifth investigation involving the company since December 2021. Later in the day the Federal Railroad Administration also said it was looking into the railroad company with a 60-day safety assessment.
“Given the number and significance of recent Norfolk Southern accidents, the NTSB also urges the company to take immediate action today to review and assess its safety practices,” the NTSB said in a statement.
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Norfolk Southern must work on improving its safety record as part of “earning back the trust of the public and its employees.”
The probes ratchet up the pressure on Norfolk Southern, which has been under significant scrutiny since a train jumped the tracks in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, spilling toxic chemicals. Chief Executive Officer Alan Shaw is scheduled to appear before a Senate committee on Thursday.
“Moving forward, we are going to rebuild our safety culture from the ground up,” Shaw said in a statement. “We are going to invest more in safety. This is not who we are, it is not acceptable, and it will not continue.”
The CEO said the company will hold “safety stand-down briefings reaching every employee across our network” on Wednesday. The briefings will happen periodically throughout the day, a spokesperson said.
The railroad on March 6 said it was adding multiple safety measures to its system.
The NTSB earlier on Tuesday opened an investigation into the Cleveland accident, in which a conductor near a Norfolk Southern train was struck and killed by a dump truck. Shaw said he went to the city after hearing the news and reached out to the family of the conductor.
Culture Concerns
A union representing Norfolk Southern workers last year reported what it called unsafe practices to the FRA, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. The union said inspections related to track-side sensors on at least two trains violated company rules. Those same sensors are a focus of the NTSB’s investigation into the Feb. 3 wreck.
“The continued safe operations of Norfolk Southern is vital to the United States,” the NTSB said in its statement. “The NTSB is concerned that several organizational factors may be involved in the accidents, including safety culture.”
The safety board has broad authority, including issuing subpoenas, to conduct investigations and issue findings and recommendations. It has no regulatory authority, however.
In addition to the five accidents already under NTSB investigation, the safety board said it would also review an Oct. 28, 2022, derailment in Sandusky, Ohio. The FRA cited the case last week while issuing a safety alert.
As part of its probe the FRA will review a recent audit of the company and look at the status of equipment and worker conditions. It will issue a public report on its findings, the agency said.
–With assistance from Ari Natter.
(Updates with FRA opening separate review from first paragraph.)
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